Departures
by Wildwolf
Summary: TakaFuji, GP, later YummiBand of Princesverse both AOZU and Cap to Bin feel down after Tezuka’s departure to Germany. Sometimes, however, you have to notice what is around you after a loss to find what you really have.


**Departure  
****AOZU and Cap to Bin Side**

Rating: PG-13 (?)  
Genre: Romance/Drama/Whatever  
Pairing(s): TakaFuji, Golden Pair, Yummi  
Warning(s): None, for now  
Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis, let alone Band of Princes.  
Summary: Band of Princes-verse; both AOZU and Cap to Bin feel down after Tezuka's departure to Germany. Sometimes, however, you have to notice what is around you after a loss to find what you really have.  
Notes/Background info: Band of Princes is a music video with Aruki Hajimeta and Rock 54 as the songs, with AOZU and Cap to Bin as the singers, respectively. AOZU is a group that consists of Tezuka, Oishi, Fuji, and Ryouma and sings more melodic, feel-good songs. Cap to Bin is comprised of Eiji, Taka, Momoshiro, Inui, and Kaoru, and they sing louder, happy, and more obnoxious songs (often described as kind of stupid songs, and, as a horrid fangirl of them, I must agree).  
The music video is an alternate universe to the Prince of Tennis anime, kind of like an official AU fanfic. Tezuka, the drummer for AOZU, gets a shoulder injury (from drumming!) as is sent to Germany. There is no tennis involved.  
I decided to write this fic because TakaFuji is horribly underdone, and even more so is Band of Princes-verse fanfiction. Then again, there is only so much to work with, so a good amount of this will be created from author-ness license. (Meaning, since I am the author and some info is not given, I can make crap up)  
I realized that it was my 5th anniversary and decided to post this here, though it and chapter two are on the livejournal community.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

They took a final wave as Tezuka Kunimitsu turned and proceeded to board the plane destined for Germany. Because of an injury gained in a fight with older students when he was younger, his left shoulder bothered him from time to time, though it was only recently that any of his band mates knew the severity of the injury.

When Ryuuzaki, the manager, stumbled upon Tezuka in a deserted hallway after the last concert, wincing in pain and grasping his shoulder, she knew that it had finally happened—he had pushed his arm too far. The years of drumming had finally caused his shoulder to go past the point of no return. He needed surgery.

And even though she knew that all of her charges were worried sick, as their manager and the responsibly adult, she had to take a step back and look at how this would affect the groups as bands. It was the professional thing to do, and the entertainment industry was brutal, after all. If this leaked more than it needed to, rival bands within the company would take advantage of Tezuka's absence.

So she had to review the situation.

AOZU and Cap to Bin were friendly rival groups that had originally started as a much larger group before dividing into the two bands that currently existed. Both groups would feel the emotional loss, however temporary Tezuka's departure may be, but AOZU, with the loss of their drummer, would feel a physical blow as well. She cancelled all concerts and CD recordings for both groups until further notice.

Without the drums that hold the very beat of the band together, AOZU could hardly practice properly. Also, all of their songs included vocals from all four members. They were in a predicament.

The airport was noisy that afternoon. It was a Sunday and the airport was full of businessmen and women flying to or coming back from international work. There were tourists wandering around aimlessly with loud clothes and foreign tongues. And in the midst of them was the group of one adult and eight remaining teenagers, watching their leader leave.

"How long do you think he'll be gone?" The red-haired lead singer of Cap to Bin, Kikumaru Eiji, asked.

"However long it takes for the surgery and rehabilitation," AOZU's guitarist, Oishi Shuuichiro, answered. Both knew exactly what the other would ask and answer, but they felt as if it all needed to be vocalized. They had a bond like that and Ryuuzaki almost found it amusing that they had ended up in opposing bands.

Then again, AOZU's soft, melodic, meaningful music suited Oishi very well, while Cap to Bin's obnoxious, happy-go-lucky attitude was what Eiji was best for. Switching them would be awkward, she thought offhandedly, but amusing,

Ryuuzaki suddenly wondered why she felt so worried. These two bands, as one group, nearly managed themselves. While Ryuuzaki set up gigs and recording days and made the official deals with companies, it was the absent Tezuka that made sure that everyone was ready and planned things. Though he was officially in AOZU, he led the two bands. This task would now fall to Oishi and Cap and Bin's keyboardist, Inui Sadaharu. They were the ones that felt, as the two oldest, the most responsible. Both also blamed themselves for not noticing Tezuka's worsening condition—Oishi because he was his close friend, and Inui because he took data on everyone to designate who needed to practice what (he felt that he should have noticed a decrease in movement in Tezuka's left shoulder while he played, which, in hindsight, he found quite obvious).

Despite everything, she was sure that the two would be able to pick up were Tezuka left off, even if they themselves did not believe it. Oishi just didn't have the same demanding force as Tezuka, though, nor his confidence. However, he would mostly take care of AOZU, which was a well-mannered, polite band (Ryouma being an exception some of the time). Inui already had Cap to Bin under control because of scary things that Ryuuzaki hoped to never acquaint herself with. She had heard stories and believed them.

"It's not like he's going to be gone forever. No, it isn't," Cap to Bin's guitarist, Momoshiro Takeshi, said finally.

"According to my research and the information provided to Tezuka by the doctors, there is an 87.6 chance that his surgery will be successful. Afterwards, there is a 39.2 chance that his shoulder will have little to no problems after that. Otherwise, there may be slight problems, but nothing major," Inui supplied.

"So Tezuka will be back soon, and everything will be better than ever," Kawamura Takashi, the drummer for Cap to Bin, affirmed, truly believing the optimism of his own words. Everyone else nodded in reply.

"Hey, the plane's taking off," Ryuuzaki pointed out the window.

The eight teenagers remaining gathered at the gate's window, watching the plane pull away, zoom down the runway, and, finally, take off. It disappeared into the clouds, carrying the future of the band of princes with it.

The eight teenagers left behind could nod to Takashi's words because they could hope.

* * *

When Ryuuzaki decided to manage the boys, or, the "Princes," as she sometimes called them jokingly, she knew that she would have to work with a wide array of nine people, each very unique in his own right.

Tezuka Kunimitsu, whom the boys referred to as 'buchou,' led them and looked out for them in his own, stoic way. Though he may initially come off as a bit aloof, he was a strong-willed person with a deep sense of justice and an air that called for respect. Hopefully, his strength of will would help his persevere.

Then again, his so-called 'air' did not, in any way, keep the others from poking fun at him. That was something that everyone in the group had to go through. And plus, Ryuuzaki thought, Tezuka enjoyed those moments as well, when his band mates were relaxed and happy enough to crack jokes and laugh, even if he was sometimes on the receiving end.

Oishi Shuuichiro was a mature boy and the oldest of the group. He had a tendency to play mother hen to the boys, which, Ryuuzaki supposed, meant that she did not have to, since she had problems acting as such, even with her own family. He was a stable, wholesome person that held everyone together. However, he did not have the same authority as Tezuka, though he was otherwise suitable as a temporary leader. His voice had a calming quality to it, when people listened (which was not, prior to this, that often).

Fuji Shuusuke was a keyboardist prodigy that belonged to AOZU. He was one of the first members of the band and his femininity in voice and appearance made his quite popular. He was a person that hid his emotions, and Ryuuzaki stopped trying to read him early on. It was impossible to do to the genius that set up and arranged most of AOZU's music. He did care about others, she knew, but in his own, more detached way.

The last member of AOZU was Echizen Ryouma, the lead singer and guitarist. At the age of twelve (almost thirteen), he was the youngest there. He had a snarky attitude that was difficult to work with and did not take advice well. The older members learned to play little mind games to get him to do something that they wanted. Otherwise, he was a strong child and definitely a loved personality of the band.

Cap to Bin's lead singer was Kikumaru Eiji. He was a forward person with little personal space. Perhaps more than a little self-centered, he took a little getting used to, especially his habit of jumping on people when he was happy. He also had a tendency to not take things seriously, including the problems of others. This had led to a few fights between he and Oishi, but nothing that was not patched up by the two a bit later.

He and Oishi had started as a duet, playing together as a hobby before Tezuka, an acquaintance of Oishi at the time, asked if he wanted to start a band. The history and sync of the two gave them the nickname 'the Golden Pair' from the fans, and it stuck. No one knew whether there was a selling ploy or sincere emotion in the rings on their right middle fingers, but female fans had their thoughts. What they really did mean, only the Golden Pair (and the other band members) knew.

Momoshiro Takeshi was a younger boy and the guitarist of Cap & Bin. He and Ryouma were the reasons that Ryuuzaki hesitated in ever treating the boys to a meal. He was a loud, overly-confident boy with a large appetite, but with a big heart and was, possibly, the most emotional of the boys. He generally wore his feelings on his sleeve, much like Eiji, though he did try to hide them more. He could be serious when he wanted, which, Ryuuzaki had to regrettably admit sometimes, was not often.

Inui Sadaharu was a strange boy. As a science student, she expected his to have a love for things… scientific, but the boy was scary at times. He liked to create health drinks in his free time and test them on the others. Often enough, she would come to a meeting only to find all but Tezuka (and previously Fuji, before the introduction of a blue drink), unconscious. She had no idea what his intentions were, but some glint in his glasses-covered eyes told her that it was not just curiosity.

Kaido Kaoru was the last member to join, after answering an add set out by Inui for a bass player. He put up a harsh exterior, especially at first, but slowly warmed up to people—not that he would ever admit it. He was a very traditional boy; he respected his elders and expected others to do the same (though if he expected respect from his only kouhai, Echizen, it was unlikely that he would ever get it). He had an intense rivalry with Momoshiro, who was the same age, which did get in the way sometimes, but could be used to manipulate the two, which Ryuuzaki had fun doing quite often.

Kawamura Takashi did not stand out compared to the other boys. Not only did he sit in back with his drums, which is generally an out of the way position, he himself did not stand out. He was not incredibly cute or beautiful, nor a chiseled handsome. He did have an odd personality quirk, which Ryuuzaki swore was a split personality, but the fans did not know that. He was usually the one that fans remembered the name of last. But Ryuuzaki could easily call him the most self-sacrificing of her princes. He was a sweet boy that could hardly say no to a request, even if his schedule was full.

It was he that volunteered, three days later, to practice with AOZU. Ryuuzaki was sitting in her office, wondering what to do about Tezuka's absence. She had been sitting deeply in her chair, trying to summon up the will to get up and leave for the day when Takashi came in and made his proposal.

"Kawamura, isn't this a bit much for your schedule?"

"I can handle it," he tried to assure her. "It's only a couple of practices a week, right?"

"Yes, but what about schoolwork? And the sushi bar?"

"I already finish my homework quickly enough. This will just replace some of my personal practice time at home with AOZU's practice. I can rearrange my schedule."

She paused. "You'd have to learn the songs."

"I can do that," he almost sounded desperate. "I know what all of their songs sound like, and I can look over the scores and lyrics during break and lunch. Ryuuzaki-san, this needs to be done. AOZU needs to practice, and this is better than bringing someone entirely new in," he paused. "It's just for practice."

"Fine," she gave in with a sigh after a few moments, "but at the first sign of fatigue, that's it." She got up from her chair, went to the filing cabinets, and pulled out two manila folders full of papers. "These are the drum scores and full instrument scores. Remember, Kawamura, health first. We don't need to lose both of our drummers. And," she stared at him, "do not let these scores fall into other peoples' hands. People would pay good money for these."

"Yes, ma'am!" He bowed with a large smile on his face. He felt so relieved with his decision.

"You can go now."

He dismissed himself and ran off to contact the others.

Ryuuzaki slumped back into her chair. She had thought that he would offer, and knew the kinds of excuses that he would give, so she had prepared herself beforehand, thinking it out and coming to an ultimate decision before he got the courage to ask. It didn't hurt to try to convince him otherwise, though she knew that when he was set on something, he wouldn't give up, even if it risked hurting him. He had reckless fire like that to himself, though a deep caring for the others.

He really was a self-sacrificing boy.

* * *

He was thoroughly convinced that his reasons for calling him were completely band-related. He had no thoughts of other intentions. It was all for the band. He was sure of that.

"Fuji," he spoke into the phone, "it's Taka."

"Aa, Taka-san, what's up?"

"Uh, ah, I just talked it out with Ryuuzaki-san, and, well, I'll be practicing with you guys until Tezuka gets back. I mean," he had no idea why he was getting flustered, "it's just so that you guys can practice while he's gone. I know I'm not as good as Tezuka or anything, but…"

"That's nice of you, Taka-san. Have you called Oishi already?"

"Ah, no," he hadn't quite thought of that yet. "I was wondering, actually, since you write most of AOZU's songs… if you could help me a little. I mean, just so that I can try to keep up with you guys during the first practice and don't hold you back."

"Yeah, that's fine," he paused, thinking. "When would a good time be? I know that your schedule's really busy."

"Tomorrow, I suppose, if that's good with you." Tomorrow was Sunday.

"It should be—I don't have anything planned. Aa, Yuuta's coming home to visit, but that's it."

"I don't want to be in the way of a family gathering."

"Don't worry," Fuji laughed. Takashi felt a little more at ease. "Even if he does live at the dorm school, he comes home often enough so that it isn't a big thing. Tomorrow's fine. Say, around one?"

"That sounds great!" He just had to ask his father for time off. The act itself would not be difficult, for he knew that his father would allow him to take off, but he would feel guilty.

Then again, he would feel guilty if he came to the practice and did not know how to play the songs, as well as embarrassed.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Bye, then." For some reason, he did not want to hang up.

"Goodnight, Taka-san," and the lines were disconnected. Takashi felt a bit of loneliness, suddenly.

But he had to push that misplaced feeling aside and study. There was going to be a Literature test Monday and he felt unprepared.

* * *

"Nyaa, Oishi, do you remember when we first met?"

"Of course I do," Oishi answered, lying back on the bed, feeling his back rearrange slightly. Eiji's bed was softer than his own.

The red-haired teen cuddled like a cat against his right side, grabbing a portion Oishi's jacket loosely in one hand. He liked Oishi's scent and his feel. To Eiji, he felt like an overgrown teddy bear, almost, when they laid together. Eiji's own teddy bear, which was sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed, lost its role every time the older boy came over. It fell on its left side in silent protest.

Oishi was a constant visitor to the Kikumaru household, and Eiji to Oishi's. Both families were used to the constant presence of the other. They also knew that the two liked to spend a lot of time alone, though why was never actually discussed aloud.

"I thought you were a stuck up know-it-all."

"And I thought you were an obnoxious jerk."

"You were capable of getting angry."

"You were very self-centered."

They laughed. It was a comfortable topic, the things that they thought of each other when they first met, however negative. They both knew how the other felt about them now, and that was all that mattered.

"Oishi," Eiji started again, "do you remember when-"

"We got our rings? Yeah, I do." They smiled at each other without looking at one another, revisiting memories of theirs that only they could recall.

There was a groan as Oishi's phone rang. He was about to uncharacteristically curse whoever was calling him as he sat up to answer it until he saw the caller's name. He flipped the phone open. "Taka-san?"

"Hey, Oishi, um… well, I called to say that I talked to Ryuuzaki-sensei, and she said that it was alright for me to practice with you guys while Tezuka was gone. Just so you guys stay strong. I mean, ano…"

"That's great, Taka-san!" Oishi really was excited, for he had stayed up late the past few nights, worrying about that problem. "We really do need practice. But," he went into his mother-hen mode, "are you sure that this won't interfere with your school work? Or your home life? Remember, your health is before the band, and you already push yourself pretty hard."

"Don't worry, I can handle it!"

"What about practice?" Eiji darted up, staring at Oishi with curiosity.

"Hm, is Eiji there, too?"

"Yeah, I'm at Eiji's house."

There were a few moments of silence. "Ah! I'm sorry for calling you. Please don't mind my interruption. Oh, um, that's all I wanted to say. Again, sorry! Um, see you in school Monday!"

"Okay, Taka-san. See you Monday." He almost laughed as he hung up. He could imagine the other on the other side of the phone, embarrassed.

"So, what's up?" Eiji sidled back against Oishi.

Oishi reached up behind Eiji and started lightly scratching the back of his head, much like a person might do to a cat. "Taka-san is going to practice with AOZU as well while buchou is gone."

Eiji grinned. "That's cool." He bit down a yawn. "Now, back to me thinking about taking a nap."

"Didn't you just wake up from one before I came over?"

"So?" He didn't see the point. Sleep was good. Oishi was comfortable to lie against. And warm.

"So, why don't we go out?" He sat up, causing Eiji to emit a sound of protest. "We can go eat dinner and see a movie, my treat."

Eiji jumped up, suddenly energetic and nap completely forgotten. "Yay, a date! I get to go on a date with Oishi!" He latched onto Oishi's arm and hugged him.

Oishi smiled and sighed. This was, in his mind, all he really needed.

* * *

Takashi couldn't figure why he was so nervous to ring the doorbell of the Fuji household that Sunday afternoon. He paced a bit, unsure.

The door opened and he froze.

"Nm, you're one of my brother's friends, right?" The boy at the door asked. "Why didn't you knock?" He looked at Takashi with an eyebrow raised almost high enough to touch the scar on his forehead.

"Ah, I was unsure if I had the right house." That was a lie, he knew. He had checked the address several times. Something had just prevented him from gaining the courage to knock.

"Come in, then. Shuusuke's upstairs." He turned and walked a few steps further inside, leaving the door open. "Aniki! There's someone here for you!"

Takashi had not seen Yuuta in about a year, since he transferred away from Seishun. It did seem, however, that his relationship with his brother was healing and he looked a lot less angry than he had previously. That was good. There was supposed to be some sort of rivalry and Yuuta sounded as if he had an inferiority complex with his brother, but Takashi had only heard an overview.

Fuji appeared at the top of the stairs. "Aa, Taka-san, welcome! Come upstairs, we can use Yuuta's practice pad."

Yuuta moved aside and watched Takashi walk up the stairs and follow Fuji to his room. He had wondered why his brother had wanted to borrow his old practice drum pad and cymbal set, but now it was clear.

The old drum pad was almost a relic of his younger years. It hadn't been put to use in a long time, not since Yuuta had convinced himself that he wanted to become as good at the drums as Fuji was at the keyboard. Those days were long gone, and he was glad.

But then his cell phone rang and he, after checking who it was, excused himself from no one to his room to talk.

Takashi could see the age and wear on the practice pad. It reminded him of when he first started wanting to become a drummer.

"Do you have scores for the music?"

He shook himself out of his memories and nodded. "Yeah," he gestured to the binder in his hands. "Ryuuzaki-san gave me the master scores and drum scores to your songs." He pulled them out and lines of notes greeted him. "I looked over them last night."

"Let's start with Don't Look Back, then."

Takashi thumbed through the sheet music and found the song. He situated himself on the foot of the bed as Fuji took his place at the keyboard.

"We won't have the guitar," Fuji commented, "but I suppose that we will make due. I'm going to set my synthesizer on the bass guitar and play that, to help you get a feel for the music."

Takashi nodded in reply as he set up the music stand and the drum pad in front of him. There was also the cymbal set, including a high top. He steadied his breath as Fuji counted down.

He hit the first four notes and started on the rhythm, however muted the pad was in comparison to a real drum. The drums, normally, act as a metronome. They count the beats and keep the group on a track. The bass did so as well, but as Fuji played the longer notes on his synthesizer, Takashi beat out the eighth notes, alternating between the high top and the drums. The chorus was simple and repetitive. The other places had a bit of variation once in a while, but, in all, he found it a bit simpler than he would have played with Cap & Bin. There were less pauses between the notes, where in songs he normally played, like Ishikawa Hiroyuki, he would have to play an eighth note, rest for one, and then play another, rest, and onwards. That in itself was easy enough, but there was always an anxious anticipation in the rests, making sure that his drum sticks came down at the exact right time, because of the upbeat, chaotic music.

Then again, Cap & Bin always played weird, hectic songs that made less musical sense than those of AOZU. Takashi vaguely wondered how Fuji, with his gift of perfect pitch, heard the songs that he normally played.

After Don't Look Back, they tried White Line. For this one, Fuji went ahead and played the normal keyboarding score. He also sang it in a solo. Takashi remembered that this was his favorite AOZU song.

Together Takashi's rhythm and Fuji's melody and vocal played. The former could feel it wrap around him and relieve the tension that he was feeling. It always had some sort of calming effect, but now seemed amplified. The only things missing were the little bit of bass and guitar, but, for some reason, Fuji's voice was pulling him away from that.

"You have a beautiful voice," Takashi commented when the song finished with Fuji's long vocal hold.

"Thanks," the genius replied.

To Takashi, when Fuji sang, he looked freer than he ever did anywhere else. He was meant to sing. It was as if the beautiful blue bird, locked in a cage for years after experiencing the freedom of the sky, was finally released. Takashi could not take his eyes off of Fuji when he was singing, though he did not notice. He thought the other boy was ephemeral in those moments, about to disappear at any time, a fleeting vision. His soul came out when he sang.

They stopped, and the sad look on his face made him worry.

"Fuji, are you alright?"

Fuji's face jerked back to its normal self, hidden. "Yeah, I'm just worried about Tezuka, and what will happen if he doesn't recover."

"I'm sure he will," Takashi smiled, hoping that it would help the other feel better. He did not want those true feelings of the other to be ones of sadness. He wanted a fleeting smile, like the one he often saw on his face during concerts, when the group played.

Fuji nodded and smiled at him, but Takashi could feel that it was not completely sincere. It was nothing like the smile that he had when he was singing with AOZU, but it was the same smile he always carried. Hollow. "Should we get back to work, then?"

Takashi nodded, still a little worried, but deciding that the job came before his personal assurance. He had to do this, after all. He volunteered, and he wanted to do this, so that he could feel that he did something of worth.

Perhaps, someday, he could ask. Until then, he would just have to wonder why he felt like he was hurting.

* * *

I have chapter two written, but I'm not going to post it on If you want to read it, come to the TakaFuji livejournal community. It's free to sign up for a profile! And I don't think you have to be signed up, anyway, in order to read things… I'm just hoping people come and get hooked and contribute. We have some excellent authors. 


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